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Tuesday, October 18, 2011

The Set Up (Felix Riley)

Mike Byrne wants to know who framed him for murder; The N.Y.P.D. want Byrne locked up; The U.S. Secret Service want him dead; Detective Jenni Martinez just wants her gun and badge back. The thing is, you do not always get what you want!
Mike Byrne has three days to stop a deadly game that will bring America to its knees - and he has just been set up.

Quote: "America was under attack, Diane, and we had one lead in the whole world: the Bin Ladens. And did we detain them? Did we question them? Did we find out who did this to America...?
No, we flew them back to Saudi Arabia. As our guests. First class. The only civilian flight on September 12. The government asked us to solve the goddamn crime and then flew the evidence out of the country. It was like asking the Yankees to win the World Series without baseball bats. We sold the American people down the goddamn river, Diane. It was a joke. A charade. And if what we're doing is a charade then what's the goddamn point in doing it? I mean, really?"

Why this book speaks to me: I thought I was about to read what seemed like just a story with a lot of suspense, however, I soon realised it was more than that. The book deals with a mixture between the 9/11 attacks and the Madoff scheme, which I particularly enjoyed because it also explains how the latter managed to fool people and the effects such a scheme had on American banks. Being in Europe, there were details I did not know about!
Overall, this is an intelligent story which will keep you reading to find out what happens, but it also lets you in on the problems America has been facing lately, in particular regarding the markets; But if you are not an expert on finances, like me, the author explains everything in detail, so you will still understand the plot.